Tag: ISIS

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Politifact: When Obama Called ISIS “Contained,” Was Referring To Geographically – True

From Politifact:

ABC This Week host George Stephanopoulos presented White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes with a list of politicians criticizing Obama for his Nov. 12 remarks.

Rhodes said Obama was talking about a particular aspect of containment that in no way dismissed the possibility of terrorist attacks in the West.

“The president was responding very specifically to the geographic expansion of ISIL in Iraq and Syria,” Rhodes said, using another acronym for the group. “A year ago, we saw them on the march in Iraq and Syria, taking more and more population centers. The fact is that we have been able to stop that geographic advance and take back significant amounts of territory in both northern Iraq and northern Syria. At the same time, that does not diminish the fact that there is a threat posed by ISIL, not just in those countries but in their aspirations to project power overseas.”

Looking back at Obama’s interview where he made this comment, it is quite clear that it’s within a narrowly defined scope: ISIS’s territorial expansion in Iraq and Syria. He did not rule out the potential for a terrorist attack, and he also made it clear that the United States’ anti-ISIS efforts are a work in progress.

References or suggestions that Obama claimed ISIS no longer presents an active threat are incorrect.

Further, experts told us that Obama is right that ISIS hasn’t expanded in the region in recent months, though this doesn’t give a full picture of ISIS’s global reach.

Rhodes’ statement rates True.

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Paris Terrorist Attack Updates

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French President Hollande Promises “Merciless” Response To Terrorist Attacks

From NBC News:

French President Francois Hollande vowed a “merciless” response to the deadliest attacks on the country’s soil since World War II as ISIS claimed responsibility Saturday for a coordinated assault on Paris.

A state of emergency was declared and France deployed 1,500 troops after a near-simultaneous series of explosions and shootings brought the city to a horrified standstill overnight. The death toll rose to 127 and 200 other people were wounded, officials said.

Speaking early Saturday, Hollande pointed the finger at ISIS for orchestrating the “cowardly” attacks which he described as an “act of war committed by a terrorist army” and organized from abroad. He said France remained “unbreakable,” calling for “unity and courage.”

Hollande added: “We will work alongside our allies to fight this terrorist menace … France is strong and even if she is wounded she will get up always and nothing will hold her down, even if we are feeling the grief now … We will defend ourselves.”

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News Round-Up: November 13, 2015

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Would you date someone who looked like your twin? A lot of people do.

• Jessa Duggar – sister of Josh Duggar – has shared with the world her first of what will undoubtedly be dozens of babies. And the child’s name? Spurgeon. Yes, that’s right – Spurgeon.

• According to Gallup polling, there are now approximately 486,000 same-sex marriages in the U.S., compared with approximately 390,000 four months ago.

• The Pentagon says it is reasonably certain that “Jihadi John” – who took part in the video executions on behalf of ISIS – was probably killed in a drone strike last night in Syria.

• If you hit it and won $15 million in the lottery, would you share with your homophobic parents who shunned you as a teen because you were gay?

• Congrats to Randy Report fave singer/songwriter Justin Utley on his very romantical proposal to bf Craig Neilson via flash mob in front of Lincoln Center. (p.s. Craig said “yes”).

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This is what true love looks like …. So humbled & blessed to be apart of this #justinlovescraig
Posted by Elizabeth Flynn on Saturday, November 7, 2015

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Ben Carson Is Concerned US Hasn’t Responded To ISIS – After Thousands Of Airstrikes Led By US

Ben Carson, who stepped in it last week saying homosexuality is a choice because folks in prison have sex, has opened his mouth and inserted foot once again.

Writing for WorldNetDaily, Carson bemoans the “fact” that President Obama has not “responded” to attacks by ISIS in the Middle East:

We need to be the leader and take serious action. I am extraordinarily concerned about the fact that we are not responding to the barbaric acts that are taking place, as there is a tremendous leadership void. A coalition will form if it has a leader.

Someone should inform the former neurosurgeon that Obama HAS already formed a multinational anti-ISIS coalition that has led to THOUSANDS of airstrikes against the terrorist group.

Bless his heart, but he just keeps talking about things he doesn’t seem to know anything about.

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President Obama Addresses USA On Request For Military Authorization Against ISIL

Speaking from the White House, and accompanied by Vice-President Biden, Secretary of State Kerry and Secretary of Defense Hagel, President Obama detailed his request to Congress asking for authorization of military force to address the threat of ISIL in the Middle East:

Obama made clear that the draft authorization sent to the legislators does not signal a new ground war for the United States in the Middle East.

“I do not believe this nation is benefited … by being on a perpetual war footing,” Obama said.

President Obama repeated often his respect for our armed forces and his resolve that ISIL will be defeated:

“Our coalition is on the offensive. ISIL is on the defensive and ISIL is going to lose.”

“Our mission will succeed.”

“As Commander in Chief, I will only send our troops into harm’s way when it is absolutely necessary for our national security.”

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President Asks Congress To Authorize Military Force Against ISIS

President Obama has sent a request to Congress asking for authorization to utilize military force against ISIS and demonstrate to the world “our resolve to counter the threat.”

From Time:

The president elected on a promise to end America’s wars is sending Congress a proposed joint resolution to authorize military force against the swift rise of Islamic State extremists, who are imposing violent rule across Iraq and Syria and have brazenly killed U.S. and allied hostages in brutal online propaganda videos.

In a five-paragraph letter to lawmakers accompanying the three-page draft resolution provided to The Associated Press, Obama said the Islamic State “poses a threat to the people and stability of Iraq, Syria and the broader Middle East and to U.S. national security.”

“It threatens American personnel and facilities located in the region and is responsible for the deaths of U.S. citizens James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller,” he said, listing the American hostages who died in IS custody. “If left unchecked, ISIL will pose a threat beyond the Middle East, including to the United States homeland.”

President Obama plans to address the nation today regarding his request at 3:30pm ET.

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ISIS Militants Throw Man Off Roof And Stone Him For Allegedly Being Gay

Radio Free Europe is reporting that Islamic State militants on December 9 posted photographs online that appeared to show militants throwing a man off of a roof and then stoning him to death after one of the group’s Islamic courts ruled that he was a homosexual.

A statement accompanying the images said that an Islamic court ruled that the man had “practiced sodomy and must be thrown off the highest point” in the area and then stoned to death.

It said the court was in the Wilayet al-Furat — referring to an area that stretches across the Syrian-Iraq frontier where the Euphrates River flows from Syria into Iraq at the Albu Kamal-Qaim border crossing.

The killing comes after IS militants in November stoned two men to death in Syria, claiming they were homosexuals.

(h/t JMG)

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ISIS Reportedly Executes Two Gay Men By Stoning To Death

MSNBC is reporting that ISIS has apparently stoned to death two men alleged to be gay:

The Islamic State group stoned two men to death in Syria Tuesday after claiming they were gay, a monitor said, in the jihadist organisation’s first executions for alleged homosexuality.

“The IS today stoned to death a man that it said was gay,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that the victim was around 20 years old. He was killed in Mayadeen in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, near the border with Iraq.

The Britain-based Observatory said IS claimed it found videos on his mobile phone showing him “practising indecent acts with males”.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, an 18-year-old was also stoned to death in Deir Ezzor city after the group said he was gay, the Observatory said.

Activists on social media said that the dead men were opponents of IS and that the group had used the allegation as a pretext to kill them.